One Year by Mary McDonough

Set in a small Virginia Town, Mary McDonough brings us a generational women’s fiction story full of drama and emotion.

One Year

A bit of an aside, the author, Mary McDonough, played Erin from the Waltons – and that feeling of family carries through here with matriarch Mary Bernadette, her daughter-in-law Megan and granddaughter Alexis.

Each woman in this story comes from a point of view highly shaped by their own personal experiences, and the sorrows (shared and private) that have hindered or fueled their lives. There is a strong component of faith and family at the base of the story, although rather than being rooted in the church, that faith is in the next day, the footsteps and paths the family that came before brought and the reputation of the family in the small town.

There’s plenty to love and see in the story that will resonate – the family bonds, the griefs, the struggle for (and unconditional) acceptance granted, as well as the moments that aren’t so pleasant. A wonderful read that will keep you engaged and engrossed for hours, with plenty to think of after the last page.

In a heartfelt story set in a picturesque small town in Virginia, Mary McDonough portrays three generations of women in a modern Irish-American family as they navigate marriage, motherhood, and independence. . .

The Fitzgibbons--especially the women--have long been the backbone of Oliver's Well, Virginia. Matriarch Mary Bernadette is still striking and tireless at seventy-five, with a generous heart that belies her sometimes sharp tongue. Her husband, Paddy, owns the local landscaping business, daughter Grace is a nun, and son Pat and his wife Megan are successful lawyers. Her grandson, PJ, and his new wife, Alexis, live in a charming cottage behind the main house. Church, family, tradition, and the local historical society--everything Mary Bernadette cherishes is in Oliver's Well. But below the surface, there are fractures.

Megan sees the strained relationship between her husband and Mary Bernadette, who has never quite recovered from the painful loss of her first-born son. Megan too is torn between gaining her mother-in-law's approval and living life on her own terms. Alexis loves PJ deeply yet chafes against his grandmother's influence in their marriage. Then a looming scandal brings unexpected tragedy, compelling the Fitzgibbons to determine the depth of their loyalty, find their strength--and repair the bonds that have held a town, and a family, together for so long.

With warmth and an abundance of insight, Mary McDonough artfully captures the shifting dynamics of family life--and the revelations they may bear just in time.

A copy of this title was provided via Publisher via NetGalley for purpose of honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own responsibility.